Vrana opened the scoring for the Bears with a slick wrister from the faceoff dot. The tally is his seventh goal on the year and second in two nights. The Bears would add two more goals in a span of only fifteen seconds of the second to finish their scoring for the night.

Riley Barber scored on a nice wraparound only 35 seconds after the Bridgeport Sound Tigers took the lead in the second. Chandler Stephenson would give the Bears the lead only 15 seconds later on a rebound in front of Tigers net. Joe Cannata stopped 25 of 28 shots in the game.

The Bears, who went 0-9 on the power play, would not score during the shootout and lose 4-3.

Jakub Vrana goal

Riley Barber goal

Chandler Stephenson goal

Full game highlights

Game recap

(Hershey, PA- November 12, 2016)-The Hershey Bears scored two goals in a span of 15 seconds in the second period Saturday, but the Bridgeport Sound Tigers earned a 4-3 victory in a shootout at the GIANT Center. Jakub Vrana, Riley Barber, and Chandler Stephenson scored for the Bears, but Andrew Rowe had the lone goal in the shootout to give Bridgeport the extra standings point.

Vrana’s goal at 5:22 of the opening period gave Hershey a 1-0 lead, and setup a wild second period that saw the teams combine for five goals. After Carter Verhaeghe scored two minutes into the middle frame to tie the game 1-1, the two teams combined for three goals in 50 seconds. Scott Mayfield gave the Sound Tigers a 2-1 lead at 8:46, beating netminder Joe Cannata with a slap shot from the point.

At 9:21, Hershey responded as Barber scored his fourth goal of the season. The Bears rushed up ice on a four-on-two. Paul Carey sent the puck to Barber, and the forward caught Bridgeport goalie Stephon Williams out of position. He scored on the wrap-around to tie the game.

Just 15 seconds later, Stephenson scored his first goal of the season, chopping a rebound over the glove of Williams to make it 3-2 Bears at 9:36. Christian Thomas and former Sound Tiger Aaron Ness assisted.

Bridgeport would notch the final goal of regulation as Steve Bernier scored on a deflection at 17:51 of the second period to tie the score 3-3. Despite numerous power play chances late in the third period, neither team scored on the man-advantage Saturday. Bridgeport was 0-for-6 on the power play while the Bears were 0-for-9.

After a scoreless overtime, Rowe scored on Bridgeport’s first attempt in the shootout, lifting a backhand shot over Cannata’s glove. That proved to be the lone goal of the shootout as Williams denied Djoos, Boyd, and Vrana to earn the win for Bridgeport. He stopped 35 Hershey shots as the Bears outshot the Sound Tigers 38-29.

Tomorrow, Hershey hosts Hometown Heroes Night. The club will be wearing special camouflage jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. Puck drop is 5 p.m. versus Lehigh Valley.

]]>http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/11/13/jakub-vrana-scores-his-seventh-goal-in-bears-4-3-shootout-loss/feed/2Washington Capitals top 10 prospects: the next fivehttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/09/15/washington-capitals-top-10-prospects-the-next-five/
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/09/15/washington-capitals-top-10-prospects-the-next-five/#commentsThu, 15 Sep 2016 13:32:21 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=111601Earlier this week, we took a look at all the Caps’ prospects that didn’t make the top 10. Today, we’re diving into the bottom half of the top 10. Here’s a look at prospects 10 through six.

For the purpose of this series, a prospect will be defined as an under-25 player in the Capitals system who was not on the team’s roster for the majority of last season. This allows us to focus on guys who many know little about. You will not see players like Stan Galiev, Philipp Grubauer, or Andre Burakovsky on this list.

#10 Chandler Stephenson

Stephenson got into nine games with the Caps last season recording no points. The 2012 third round draft pick didn’t look terribly out of place but struggled with consistent offense in both DC and Hershey. He plays the penalty kill with the Bears and is a quality faceoff man. His skill level is a bit of an underappreciated part of his game, but it needs to catch up to his quality skating.

His 200 foot game is not perfect quite yet, as the NHL game seemed to move a little too fast for him last year. However, if his game takes a step forward, it would not be surprising to see him play more games with the Caps this year. He may be the best option for a center call-up if the Caps need an energy line center for the bottom six.

#9 Shane Gersich

Gersich is on the small side, but his game has a lot of speed to it. The Caps took Gersich in the fifth round in the 2014 draft. Coming off a National Championship with North Dakota last year, Gersich will look to improve on his nine goals. He played mostly in the bottom six for the Fighting Hawks last season and should see a bit more ice time this year with a few graduating seniors as well as the departure of Nick Schmaltz.

Gersich is fast, quick, and agile. He can quickly shift his weight and position to make other players miss. His offensive skills are strong including a lethal shot. Despite his small size, he is not afraid to enter the dirty areas of the ice. If he is able to build on last year in North Dakota and add some muscle to his frame, the Caps may wish to try and sign him sooner rather than later.

#8 Zachary Sanford

Sanford took the step last year that Gersich is hoping to take this season. With a bigger role at Boston College, Sanford raised his game. He ended the season third on the team in points and earned a contract with the Caps this summer. There’s is little doubt that Sanford will compete for call-ups with the Caps this season.

Zach Sanford has a large frame at 6’4” and has added the necessary weight needed to fill out his frame since the Caps drafted him in in the second round in 2013. He could still stand to gain a few more pounds of muscle and round out his full 200 foot game, but Sanford is already quite good in the offensive zone. His skill and size give him a decent chance at being called up to the Caps this year if they need a scoring line center fill in.

#7 Madison Bowey

Slipping from a consensus top five Caps prospect in recent years is more about those leapfrogging Bowey and less about his own play. Bowey, drafted in the second round of the 2013 draft, led Hershey defenders last season in points, though his four goals were a bit underwhelming. His play at the defensive side of the ice improved, but there are still a couple wrinkles in his game that need to be ironed out, such as his one-on-one play.

Bowey is not small, but he isn’t a large defenseman either. His offensive skills are the best part of his game and include a good shot and great instincts with the puck. He doesn’t have a problem playing physically and has added plenty of muscle to his frame. There is a decent chance he gets his first call-up with the Caps this year, but don’t look for him to make a huge impact quite yet.

#6 Riley Barber

Riley Barber was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft. Like Bowey, his fall from a top five prospect is not of his own making. Barber came in at second on the Bears last season in points which is very impressive for a former sixth rounder in his first pro season.

Barber is not a standout skater. His shot is not the best in the system. His one-on-one skills are not all that impressive. Yet, he flat out produces. He produces by being in the right position, playing with a high hockey IQ and converting the chances he gets. Oh, and pure will. He makes others on the ice better, and he plays a full 200 foot game already. He is a gamer. This makes him a favorite to be a call-up if the Caps need a middle six winger this season.

Save for Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom is the best player on the Washington Capitals – and it’s been that way for some time. Seeing him on crutches, then, after undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery in late May was an unwelcome sight for Caps fans. On Wednesday, after four months of recovery, Backstrom practiced with his teammates for the first time since the operation — albeit in a non-contact jersey. Still, the star center who didn’t miss a game last season is likely to miss this year’s opener, though the a quicker return that some feared.

“There’s no timetable,” Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said when asked when Backstrom might get back into game action or lose the non-contact jersey. “Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. I consider Nick a franchise player and you never put a franchise player at risk. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready. That will be determined by our medical staff, his doctor and more importantly, Nick himself.”

Any time missed by Backstrom is a big loss for Washington, a team that has long lacked center depth. The 27-year-old Swede led the league with 60 assists last year, while also finishing sixth in points. Derek Roy, in camp on a professional tryout agreement, and Chandler Stephenson, who played last year with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, are battling for a roster spot in Backstrom’s absence.

Prior to Wednesday morning, Backstrom had been doing skating drills with Brooks Orpik, who had offseason wrist surgery, before the rest of the team took to the ice.

“He has been skating really well with controlled conditions,” Trotz said of Backstrom. “I think once you get into practice, you’ve got to avoid people a little bit, so we’ll see how he reacts to that.”

Speaking to the media after the on-ice session, Backstrom said he was happy to skate with his teammates because his conditioning drills were boring.

“It’s nice to get back with the guys and do normal drills,” Backstrom said after staying on the ice. “It’s going in the right direction, so that’s good.”

He echoed Trotz and did not offer an estimate on when he might return.

“We’ll see and take it day by day,” he added. “I just want to feel healthy.”

At this year’s Development Camp, the Capitals have shied away from the myriad of scrimmages they held under past regimes, teaching the invitees rather than pitting them against each other.

“We’re doing developing more than we are evaluating,” General Manager Brian MacLellan said. “This has been more education, more development stuff.”

Nevertheless, the team still hosted a big scrimmage at the end of camp, the anchor of the team’s annual summer fanfest. With one big chance to impress Washington’s brass, the players turned in a barnstorming, high-energy game.

One casualty of the chippiness was Chandler Stephenson‘s smile. The third-round pick lost parts of two false teeth when he was high-sticked by Marcus Basara during three-on-three play.

“I didn’t see the stick but just felt my head go back,” Stephenson said. “My front four are already fake. It’s going to be interesting to see what mom says.”

In the end, Stephenson suffered not only a rearranged mouth, but also a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Basara’s Team Red. However, Stephenson, who may challenge for a center spot on Washington’s opening night roster due to Nicklas Backstrom’s hip injury, wasn’t bothered.

“He just apologized a whole bunch and I said ‘It’s not a big deal, they’re already fake,'” Stephenson, who still signed for fans after the scrimmage, said of Basara. “At least I look the part now.”

Preparation for 2014-15 NHL season begins this week as rookie camps kick off around the league. Capitals’ camp will start today, and will end next Tuesday with a 3PM rookie game that has been held every (non-lockout-shortened) year since the Caps’ re-build.

Caps rookie camp features all Caps prospects from the CHL and Europe as well as those who turned pro this summer, including prospects ranked two, four, and five in our latest prospect rankings. Of the 20 participants, seven are free agents in the NHL who participated in the Caps Development Camp in July. Three of them signed to play in the AHL with Hershey this season.

Two top Caps picks from each of the last two drafts will be present: Andre Burakovsky and Madison Bowey in 2013 and Jakub Vrana and Vitek Vanecek in 2014.

There are a few other top Caps prospects who cannot be returned to junior leagues. These players will be looking to leave a good impression for a potential mid-season calls-up, most notably Chandler Stephenson, Caleb Herbert, and Nathan Walker.

Interstingly, Burakovsky is listed as center/left wing, which probably hints at him getting another look at the center position following an experiment at training camp which was considered a success. According to Hershey Bears head coach Troy Mann, playing beside him will be Vrana and versatile veteran Herbert. The second line will be built around Stephenson and Walker, who have played on the same line in camps before, forming a quick, dynamic, and hard-nosed duo.

Andre Burakovsky is the best Caps prospect yet to play a game with the big club (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images).

With rookie camp upon us, RMNB presents the new edition of its semiannual prospect rankings.

Prospect rankings factor in a player’s potential, his probability to reach his ceiling (including an assessment of that player’s adaptation to NHL’s style of play), and physical and mental maturity.

The Caps prospect pool is considered top-heavy, with four Caps prospects ranked in top-50 league-wide by both Corey Pronman and NHL.com. However, there’s believed to be a significant drop-off in talent after that. While Capitals management has tried to make their prospect pool deeper, they’ve still got work to do. The Caps are considered thin at center in particular, underlined by auditioning their two top wingers for a center slot.

On Wednesday, Washington Capitals third-round pick Chandler Stephenson played in his first game as a Hershey Bear. His team battled the Norfolk Admirals, with whom they were tied in points for eighth and final postseason spot but held the tiebreaker, on the road.

The soon-to-be 20-year-old scored a goal in the first period of the game, on his first shot as a pro. Stephenson received a pass from an unlikely attacker, defenseman Cam Schilling, and beat veteran goalie Brad Thiessen with a long wrist shot.

Stephenson’s goal is at 0:50.

Stephenson become the second Bear in a couple weeks to score his first pro goal in his first pro period of play in the AHL after Caleb Herbert.

Injured Bear Garrett Mitchell, who played with Stephenson in juniors with the Regina Pats when he captained the team in 2010-11 season, was extremely proud of his younger teammate:

So pumped for @CStephenson22 to be playing in his first pro game tonight!!! Then he goes out and scores on his first shot!! #ProudFather

“Mitchy’s been real good to me,” Stephenson said to The Patriot-News’ Tim Leone. “He’s like a big brother. He talks to me and helps me out, just making sure things are OK, because he knows what it’s like to go through this. He just makes me feel comfortable, as does the whole team. They’ve all welcomed me very well.”

Despite Stephenson’s heroics, the Bears lost the game 5-3 and fell to ninth in the Eastern Conference with two games left in the regular season. They will, however, get a chance to bounce back — their re-match against Norfolk is on Friday.

The Capitals have signed forward Chandler Stephenson to an entry-level contract. According to a report by the Regina Leader-Post, the three-year contract is worth $925,000 per season, the maximum an NHL rookie can get.

Stephenson was originally considered a left winger, but he impressed at center for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and for the Caps during last preseason. After missing time due to injury in the 2012-13 season, Stephenson had a huge breakout this year with 30 goals and 59 assists in 69 games, leading his team and finishing 14th in the league in points (89). He played in all situations for the Pats, logging a lot of ice time especially late in games.

Stephenson is a pass-first player, but he also has a pretty good shot. His main assets though are his vision and hockey IQ, which he uses to make plays in both ends of the ice.

This passing play, finished off by Stephenson’s one-timer, was so dazzling the cameraman lost the puck.

Stephenson’s shootout goal is at the 0:20 mark.

Nifty curl-and-drag and a shot top-shelf.

Despite a relative small stature (6-foot-0, 199 pounds), Stephenson isn’t soft at all; he can take a hit and often goes to the high-density areas to create offense. His future will, for a large part, depend on his transition to pro hockey, but he could develop into a solid two-way third-line forward in the NHL.

ARLINGTON, VA. – The Washington Capitals have signed center Chandler Stephenson to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning the 2014-15 season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Stephenson, 19, was drafted by the Capitals in the third round, 77th overall, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and spent the last four seasons with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Stephenson registered a career-high 89 points (30 goals, 59 assists) in 69 games with the Pats this season and ranked tied for sixth in the WHL in assists, 14th in points and first in the league in shorthanded goals (8).

Stephenson compiled 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 46 games with Regina in 2012-13, ranking third among Pats skaters in points and assists and fourth on the team in goals. In 2011-12, Stephenson recorded 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games with the Pats. The 6’0”, 199-pound center finished the season ranked third on the team in goals, fourth in points and participated in the 2012 CHL Top Prospects Game. As a rookie in 2010-11, Stephenson tallied 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 60 games. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native has recorded 195 points (73 goals, 122 assists) in 230 career WHL games.

Stephenson will report to the Hershey Bears (AHL) tomorrow on a tryout agreement. Stephenson is the third member of the Capitals’ 2012 NHL Draft class to sign with the team, joining Connor Carrick and Tom Wilson.

Chandler Stephenson has been one of the most impressive Caps prospects this season (Photo: Derek Leung/Getty Images)

The first half of the 2013-14 season has been mostly positive for Washington Capitals prospects. Unknowns like Andre Burakovsky and Chandler Stephenson have shown real NHL potential, while the elder statesmen of the pool like Nate Schmidt and Patrick Wey, both coming off tremendous college careers, have made steps up the Caps’ depth chart.

However, top two Caps prospects will wish their first half was better: Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s injuries have limited his action and Tom Wilson has had a hard time gaining a meaningful role with the big club.

The feel-good story of the season so far has been Stephenson, who had been bugged by injuries in the past, but is now thriving in a veteran role as an offensive go-to guy for his team. I’ve got more on these stories and our full top-20 ranking below.

Washington Capitals 2012 third-round pick Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats scored a pretty tricky goal in Wednesday’s game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In the third period, with his team down 5-2, Stephenson toe-dragged the puck around a Lethbridge defenseman before blasting it top-shelf.

We’ve got slo-mo video of the goal below.

Quite a dirty dangle right there.

Stephenson is is tied for Pats’ scoring lead with 47 points in 37 games.